"And that is, if I may be bold to supply the words, Mr. Holland's."

"Not exactly. We are for Mr. Rawson. We all stop at the same house, you know."

James heard this part as he hurried past, a little red on the ears, also a snatch of the following:

"Now, ladies, permit me to tell you that you're in the wrong car. Get into Mr. Holland's! His will take a flying switch into the presidency," etc., etc.

For the most part, the votes came dribbling in, but once and a while, at the close of a recitation, a small delegation of partisans, preceded by a leader, would be marshaled up to the polls. This is a great day for little Robbins. The first batch that he leads up is composed of the freshmen members of the Whist Club, of which Robbins, too, is a member. They advance from the basement, single file, in lock-step, keeping mark with "We are for Jim Rawson, son, son, son." The others' adherents guy them, but they keep on. Pretty soon George comes along with some of the freshmen members of the "mining push." There is no question as to which way these will vote.

Holland cuts his recitations en bloc and hovers about the polling place keeping tab. He is conscious that it is bad form, and so does not come up too close, except in occasional, apparently casual strolls. Every once and a while he retires around the corner for a follower's report on the situation. "Those Sigma Tau Alpha co-eds are doing great work. Almost every one has been up with a friend or two. I wonder where those Y. W. C. A. girls are keeping themselves? Not a single one has shown up yet.'

Toward the close of the polls, Evans, who has been

practicing a new whirl with the hammer all morning, recalls that it is election day, and that he is up for president. "Guess I'll go up and vote and see what's going on." On the way up the campus he meets George.

"Hullo, Cub, how goes the election ?"

"Jim Rawson's got it in a walk, saving your presence. By the way, Ev, who is supposed to be making your fight?"

"Well, so far as a fight has been made, I suppose the Phis have been doing their part. Chinn's been interested, too; you know he put me up. But I haven't been taking much interest in the thing. I'm sort of sorry now that I didn't withdraw. I suppose a fellow ought not to go into a thing without trying to win."

"No. And if you think Chinny has been your friend in this you're badly mistaken. He's been doing all he could for Holland on the Q. T. There's been a report around this morning that you were out of it, whatever that may mean. It's hard to tell who got it up. On the strength of it, he's up there now working tooth and nail for Holland."

"I didn't withdraw. Has he been giving me the double cross!" ejaculated Evans. "Why, he nominated me!"

Yes, I guess he's been playing you for a sucker, all

"I'll crack his jaw!" The significance of past events was beginning to dawn on Evans slowly. He turned red about the neck, and placed his finger up to

A slow-gathering wrath is a stormy one.

loosen his collar.

"We'll go up

and see about this." Approaching the polling place, a

group of students was observed gathered about a speaker. The speaker was Roland Chinn.

"Now, there's every reason, fellows, why we should elect Chet Holland. He comes from a good family. He has dough enough to do things up brown, and he's ready to do it. It's a pipe that his brother will be major of the battalion. He's in with the proper push." Raising his voice to imitate a showman's: 'Step up now, gentlemen, and cast your vote for the right man."

"And who may that be, Chinny?" Evans breaks through, his mien full of menace, his face becoming each moment more red.

"Hullo, Ev, where'd you drop from?"

"I dropped from being a sucker, and I want to know what sort of a dummy you thought you were nominating for president? What was your low-down game, anyway?"

"Oh, come along, Ev, don't get hot. I had it straight this morning that you were out of it, and I'd rather see Chet in than Rawson." Then, trying to pass it off with an audacious joke: "Well, step up, anyhow, and vote for yourself, and don't say that I didn't get you one vote."

Evans turned livid. The others fell away as he made a grab for Chinn, grasping him tightly by the coat-collar and shaking him roughly. "You little shrimp! I'll teach you to make a fool out of me." Violent shaking. "Now, you get out of this with your snide tricks, or I'll wipe the ground with you," and he pushed the limp Chinn, stumbling, twenty feet away. The politician recovered himself, and, moving further off with each word said, with a sickly smile:

"You take these things too seriously, Ev, I'll give

you a chance to cool off."

"Now, see here, fellows.

You see what sort of work

Don't elect him,

He's the best

that scamp and his candidate are up to.
whatever you do.
man in this fight.

Vote for Jim Rawson.

Hear, now, I withdraw in his favor. Evans withdraws in favor of Rawson." And he raised his voice excitedly : “Here, you, run and put that on a sign! There's time yet to elect him!"

At this juncture a group of Y. W. C. A. co-eds appeared, timidly approaching the polls. "Good afternoon, Miss Powell," began Evans in an aggressive voice. "I want you ladies all to understand that Evans has withdrawn in favor of Rawson. Don't vote for machine politics."

"We won't, Mr. Evans," was the response.

The news soon spread that Ralph Evans had broken loose at the polls and licked Roland Chinn. A crowd gathered from all sides, with the effect of bringing up many stray votes. Evans held his ground, relaxing nothing in his endeavors to elect Rawson. He found ready sympathizers and converts. Nearly three-quarters of the vote cast after three o'clock was for James. But if the truth had been known, he had been running ahead from the start. At five o'clock Robbins rubbed his hands delightedly. He did not appear for dinner. That evening, as James was studying, he heard a clatter on the stairs, and Robbins and George burst into his room.

"You're it, Jim! Shake! You're the thing!" they shouted, and producing a strip of paper, Robbins read, impressively : "Holland, 169; Evans, 76; Little Jim Rawson, 222. Wow!"

CHAPTER X

"How the Other Half Lives"

"By the way, Jim, the Gammas are going to have a little blow-out for the football push tonight, and the boys wanted me to ask you around. First chance we've had to bore the team as a whole, but it's better late than never. Percy's going to come over to dinner. Suppose you join him. I'll call for you."

"I'm afraid that I won't be able to go, Charlie. Thanks just the same."

"Yes. You can come if you want to.

and they'll all go over to town."

"Well, I have some digging to do."

It's Saturday,

Digging be hanged! Come along, it'll keep." "There are other reasons.''

"There are? Oh, I see. Maybe you've got an anti-frat sourball! Spit it out."

"That's about the size of it," admitted James, laugh

ing. "I don't know much about them, and I don't know that I want to. Anyhow, I don't tog up fit to mix in frat company."

"Ha, ha, that's a good one! You just ought to see us in undress uniform. Come any way you want. I won't